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Trump Hires Citizens United President As Deputy Campaign Manager; Tropical Storm Slams Southeast With Heavy Rain. Aired 8-8:30 a ET

Aired September 02, 2016 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[08:05:00] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This is the first hurricane to hit Florida in more than a decade. And that was just the beginning. And 23 million people along the east coast are now under watches and warnings. We're going to begin our coverage with Polo Sandoval live in St. Marks, Florida. Polo, what are you seeing?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, you have the storm surge and also high tide. Those two things coupled together. They really did bring a significant amount of water into this community here, into the city of St. Marks, Florida, which is actually one of the most closely populated areas to where Hermine made landfall overnight.

But what's interesting is how quickly the water seems to be receding. In fact, you look over my shoulder, you can actually see how fast the water has actually receded, about a whole block in the last hour or so. So this is, as you can see, giving people an opportunity to actually go out and see what, if any, damage was actually left behind.

And I can tell you after speaking to some of the folks here, there is high hopes that the damage is quite minimal. Yes, water did make it into homes, but at the same several of the homes in this particular part of the panhandle actually sit on stilts or perhaps are mobile homes or trailers to they were actually removed from the area before that storm swept through.

So now what you have, again, are some of these neighbors getting on bikes, getting on golf carts, getting on trucks, to be able to see firsthand exactly what that first storm in about 11 years actually left behind which, according to the conversation I had with one resident in his own words, it could have been worse.

So I think what people are now taking a closer look at what happened here. But it is important to look at what we witnessed here like downed trees and power lines, because that will give you an indication or at least a quick preview of what could be in store for some of the other regions of the southeast.

BERMAN: We're talking about a big swath of the southeast, 23 million people under watches right now. Polo, thank you so much.

Want to take a look at somewhere else the storm had an impact. CNN's Boris Sanchez in Apalachicola, Florida. Boris.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. People here in Apalachicola are waking up to good news. It appears that the damage here was minimal. And this is really a case study in how unpredictable hurricanes can be. We were told that the storm was going to directly hit this area at about 1:00 a.m. yesterday.

But at about 1:30 it hit several miles southeast of here, closer to where Polo was. Fortunately, though, there are several thousand people without power right now. In this area, it appears that the loss of electricity was minimal. There is some debris in the street but no trees or power lines appear to be down at this time.

I actually spoke to a police officer this morning who was out on patrols and he said this was as smooth as you can get when it comes to dealing with a hurricane. I also just got a change to speak with the mayor of Apalachicola and he told me they were very fortunate to not get much damage.

What is a welcome sign, though, is that people were prepared. We saw people boarding up their businesses and setting up sandbags. Obviously with heavy wind and the potential for flooding, there's always concern. But it had been, as you said, about 10, almost 11 years since Florida got a hurricane. So for Florida Governor Rick Scott there was concern over the potential for complacency, perhaps that people had forgotten how strong a Category one storm could be.

Also, a lot of people have since moved to Florida and may never have had this kind of experience before. All in all, though, again, the damage appears to be minimal. It is a good sign that people were ready for this storm, because hurricane season is far from over. And this is a good sign, also, for people to be ready -- rather, a good indicator that people should be ready in Georgia and the Carolinas, as you mention, where the storm is heading now, Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely. Good reminder, thanks so much, Boris. More than 23 million people are under watches and warnings for this tropical storm.

So we just got the 8:00 advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Let's bring in CNN meteorologist Chad Myers to update us on what is it telling you, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Down to 60 miles per hour now, a tropical storm. That's what we would expect. Storms get bigger when they are over warm water. They die when they are over land. So although we have saturated this ground with a lot of rain overnight, we have 60-mile-per-hour winds still blowing those trees with saturated roots down. And the rain is going to continue into South Carolina, into North Carolina, and then eventually the storm reemerges offshore, back into warm water of the Atlantic Ocean.

This is ridiculously warm water here for this time of year, three to five degrees above normal. That's the anomaly right now. So when that low gets here east of North Carolina, it is going to encounter high pressure to the north. That is going to stop it from going any farther to the north, and it is going to sit there, and it is going to sit there for days, maybe until Wednesday. There's your winds as we talk about Monday. Maybe 50-mile-per-hour

for Hatteras. Then the storm doesn't move. This is the European model. This is the European model of what's going to happen. The storm refuses to move.

Now here we go. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. If there are relentless rains along the coast or even a little bit inland, there could be significant flooding just because the storm refuses to move.

[08:05:04] Certainly the angry seas will be everywhere from basically Massachusetts all the way down to the Carolinas. You don't want to be in that. And plus, if you're in the rainfall, there could be significant flooding still.

CAMEROTA: All good reminders and warnings for us, Chad.

We want to bring in National Hurricane Center Director Dr. Rick Knabb. Dr. Knabb, tell us what your models are seeing. It was good to hear that the winds have decreased to 60 miles an hour, which obviously is still very great. Is there a possibility of the storm regaining strength?

DR. RICK KNABB, METEOROLOGIST AND DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Yes. We've just issued our intermediate public advisory, the maximum sustained winds are at 60 miles per hour, but I don't want folks to take the weakening of the winds to mean that the hazards have gone away.

We are seeing a huge area of very heavy rainfall primarily in southern and central portions of Georgia. That's heading into the Carolinas today and into Saturday. Inland flooding is the most frequent cause of loss of life in landfalling tropical systems. So it is not just a coastal event, it's not just a wind event.

But with regarding to the winds, once this does get back over the Atlantic waters after passing through North Carolina, there is the potential for some re-strengthening, and it could be a pretty large system. And we are pretty confident that it is going to slow down once it gets off the mid-Atlantic and northeast coast here. And that means a potential for a prolonged period of strong winds, heavy rainfall, and the potential for a storm surge situation that could be dangerous in some spots. We're taking a close look at that this morning to see if we need to issue our prototype storm surge watch for this part of the country in the mid-Atlantic like we did for the big bend of Florida.

MYERS: Dr. Knabb, it's Chad here. Those waves that will be under that storm could be 10 to 15, especially swells in the middle of the ocean. That will be a coastal erosion issue as well. But going back to the rainfall you talked about, when that rainfall is on the piedmont -- talking about topography here -- that's where you really see the potential loss of life today, isn't it, where that heavy inland fresh water flooding?

KNABB: Yes. Got to make the distinction between the saltwater flooding in coastal areas that is the storm surge and the inland flooding that can happen days after landfall occurs and can happen hundreds of miles from where that landfall occurred and far inland from the coast.

And because of the size of the system, it is potentially going to drop some heavy rainfall in the complex terrain that you just mentioned. But anywhere where it rains five to 10 inches or more, if it exceeds a foot of rain, and are you on a road that's covered by water, you could be in a life-threatening situation. You've got to turn around, don't drown. We use that cliche all the time, but it works to get across the message. The most frequent cause of loss of life is the inland flooding due to heavy rainfall, and that can happen in flat areas, that can happen in mountainous areas, especially roads, people in their cars getting into trouble.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely. Look out for all that standing water. That's a good warning for everyone.

So, Dr. Knabb, Chad has being showing us these models where the storm can park itself outside of the northeast just off the coast of New York and New Jersey for a couple of days. And then what? Is it possible that the rain would be so bad up here that it would remind us of some of the really sort of catastrophic storms we've seen here, like Sandy?

KNABB: I hope it only spends couple of days, because it could spend more than two days sitting in this general area off the mid-Atlantic and northeast coast. And we're pretty confident in it slowing down after it leaves North Carolina.

And all other factors considered equal, a system that is not moving can be big trouble because that means whatever rainfall is occurring could happen for not only hours, but days in some spots, and persistent onshore flow in to this shaped coastline here could mean a pretty significant coastal flooding or storm surge event. We're taking a look this morning carefully about where those areas are the hotspots that we are most concerned about. We'll talk to emergency managers about that as the days unfold.

MYERS: Doctor, we always think about storm surge coming in with the eye or with the center. You are talking about storm surge just because of relentless wind from the same direction over 72 hours just continuing to push that water onshore. Correct?

KNABB: Yes, excellent point. The center of circulation isn't always the center of action. Even if the center stays offshore, you could have persistent onshore flow that causes the winds to push the ocean into the land areas. And, again, the shape of the coastline up here in the mid-Atlantic and northeast enables the ocean to pile up and get captured in certain areas. And you've got a complex coastline with bays and there are particular locations that we're going to look at carefully today to see which areas have the potential.

[08:10:01] And again, we have the ability for the first time this year to issue a prototype storm surge watch which we would do about 48 hours in advance of when this could occur to highlight areas that have the potential for life threatening storm surge. So we're to be looking real carefully at that. But you're right,

persistent onshore flow, the stronger the winds over longer distance for a longer period of time, that's where the water could really pile up in areas where it is normally dry ground.

CAMEROTA: OK, Dr. Knabb, Chad, thank you very much for watching all of this for us. Obviously you'll keep us posted throughout the rest of the morning.

And we will have the latest for you on this tropical storm throughout the morning because it's not going away as you heard. In fact, it may be parking itself.

So up next, the hefty price of Donald Trump's immigration plan. His plan will reportedly cost tens of billions of dollars. How does Trump plan to pay for it? We have a Trump advisor next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: NBA star Dwyane Wade speaking out for the first time about Donald Trump's controversial tweet following the shooting death of Wade's cousin in Chicago on Friday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DWYANE WADE, NBA PLAYER: I was grateful that he started a conversation, but on the other hand, there's just a bad taste in my mouth because of what my family is dealing with and what our city of Chicago is dealing with, and it looks like it's being used as a political game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:15:00] CAMEROTA: Let's bring in Tana Goertz. She's a Trump senior advisor and runner-up on "The Apprentice." She is joining us this morning from the swing state of Iowa.

Good morning, Tana.

TANA GOERTZ, TRUMP SR. ADVISER: Good morning. How are you?

CAMEROTA: Doing well.

So has Mr. Trump had a chance to hear what Dwyane Wade said, that did he feel as though Mr. Trump's original tweet was exploiting his family's pain?

GOERTZ: You know, Mr. Trump's been so busy on the campaign trail that I can't answer if he's heard that or not. But I do know Mr. Trump so well. I've known him for over a decade and there is nobody that's more sensitive to people that are hurting, families in crisis than Donald Trump. And he would have never, ever wanted the family to feel that way.

It was just to simply bring awareness to we are in a serious situation here in America. We need to keep America safe again and this was just a horrible situation that happened to that family and he didn't use it for political gain. He was just letting people know that we do have a problem and he's the only one that will keep America safe again.

CAMEROTA: And has Mr. Trump apologized to the Wade family for the fact that they feel as though it was for political gain?

GOERTZ: Not to my knowledge. But I haven't spoke to Mr. Trump about this, as I said. He's been all over, as you know. But he would. He would be the first to say, absolutely, I'm sorry I did not mean that to come across that way but at the end of the day, about how safe -- or how unsafe our country is and how we do need to stop these criminals and we do need to protect our country.

Hillary Clinton is not talking about that. Donald Trump is the only one that is saying we need to keep America safe again. So, he by no means meant any harm by that. I can guarantee you that.

CAMEROTA: OK. Tana, let's talk about what was announced yesterday in terms of the campaign. It was announced that David Bossie is going to become a deputy campaign manager of the Trump campaign. David Bossie, people may know that name. He has been the head of Citizens United, the conservative advocacy group for a long time, and he's basically made a career after going after the Clintons and digging up controversies.

What will David Bossie be bringing to the campaign?

GOERTZ: I'm not specifically sure what he'll be bringing to the campaign. But Hillary Clinton is not bringing new ideas, new scandals are coming out every single day about her. As yesterday we just learned that she was using taxpayers' money to provide this server and to manage this server, maintain it. We're all paying for her to keep us unsafe. What I know about Mr. Trump is he surrounds himself with people who are talented. We all are talented in our different lanes.

David will be talented in what Mr. Trump sees something in him that he says, you know, I would like that aboard. We do not have the staff that Hillary's team has but he does hire the job that can do the job of three people.

CAMEROTA: Here's what Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta, says about David Bossie. He says, "David Bossie is so craven and maniacal, in the heyday of the overreaching Gingrich-era Congress, the top whitewater conspiracy theorist in the House had to fire him, meaning Bossie, for doctoring evidence. This is just the latest sign that Donald Trump has put the most extreme elements of the right-wing fringe in the driver's sat of this campaign."

What about that, Tana, the fact that Steve Bannon of Breitbart, now David Bossie, now we know that Roger Ailes from FOX News has been advising Donald Trump at least on debate prep, what about the feeling that he is moving towards a right wing feeling that a lot of people in the middle aren't comfortable with?

GOERTZ: Well, I know -- as you mentioned earlier in my intro, I am in the battleground state of Iowa. Lot of people in the middle. They're very interested in what Donald Trump I doing. They are voting for Donald Trump. We're polling great.

I think Hillary should be concentrating on what she's doing that has been corrupt and what she is doing that has been not secure and such of that nature. So I think she shouldn't -- her team shouldn't be so worried about what Mr. Trump and what David has done in his past, which we don't know about the specifics of all that.

But what we do know is Hillary has put all of us, all American voters, at a huge risk and she risked our national security. She cannot be trusted and she was extremely careless as we learned from the Director Comey.

CAMEROTA: I want to ask you, let's talk about, Donald Trump's immigration plan because now it has a price tag. "The Washington Post" has crunched the numbers. They went to the CBO and to the Department of Homeland Security to see how much Mr. Trump's plan would cost. Here are the numbers.

If you add all of -- everything that he has said -- well, actually, just sort of the top five things of what he has said, it totals more than $50 billion, with a "B". What is the plan to pay for all of that?

[08:20:02] GOERTZ: Well, the reality is big projects cost big money. What Mr. Trump is going to do is his primary focus will be making life better for Americans. He is going to, as we have learned, he will be quickly removing the people that are here illegally.

And all of that costs money. Securing the border costs money. Unlike what Hillary Clinton wants to do, she wants to have an open border policy. Let them all come in.

This is a big project. Building the wall, which he has said from day one. It costs money. He will figure this out.

This is a man who has a resume. He is a proven success. This I a man who knows how to have numbers in his favor.

He will get America back. Trust me, there's no one else that can do the job that Donald Trump can do. Take a look at his business, his empire. He'll do it.

CAMEROTA: Tana Goertz, senior adviser to the Trump campaign, thanks so much.

GOERTZ: Thanks for having me.

CAMEROTA: Let's get over to John.

BERMAN: That's right. John, thanks, Alisyn. Appreciate it.

Back to our top story. Tropical Storm Hermine soaking the Southeast, coastal and inland flooding causing huge concerns in several states. More could be on the way. Up next. I'm going to talk to the mayor of the hard-hit community.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:25:10] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BERMAN: Tropical storm Hermine is weakening as it moved inland. Winds right now at 60 miles per hour.

But, 23 million people still in the path of this storm with watches and warnings up and down the east coast. You are looking at live pictures from Savannah, Georgia. The concern in Georgia is heavy, heavy rainfall.

The National Hurricane Center told us they are concerned about inland flooding. One place that storm has been already, Apalachicola in Florida. The city's mayor, Van Johnson, joins us right now.

Mr. Mayor, how are things where you are? Tell you how you fared.

MAYOR VAN JOHNSON, APALACHICOLA, FL: Things are great here. We didn't experience any of the expected storm surges, damage to property. Things are great. The city fared well.

BERMAN: What went right in terms of planning for you? We had several days of warning about this storm in addition to the storm surge. Was that helpful in getting ready?

JOHNSON: Yes, it was. Plus, our local emergency management activated days earlier. They kept the community abreast of what was going on. So, we was pretty much prepared.

But this is not our first rodeo. We've been here before. We've seen this type of storm. So we was pretty confident that we would fare pretty good. And we did.

BERMAN: Do you have power this morning? Do you have services?

JOHNSON: We do, but there are still some that's out of power to the west of town. We did have some tree limbs fall. Little flooding, but nothing major. No structure damage.

From my perspective, things are great. The city of Apalachicola is extremely fortunate that we didn't have the major damage that could have happened with this sort of storm.

BERMAN: Is it all right for people to get out and about this morning or you want people to stay home still so the crews and electric crews, can get out and take care of those tree limbs?

JOHNSON: It's actually a beautiful day. I mean people's actually out now bicycling, riding around, enjoying Florida, enjoying Apalachicola as if it was a normal day.

BERMAN: Now, we are looking at pictures from other places. Getting hit right now. Some live pictures. The tail of the storm is hitting Tampa. The center of the storm now moving over Georgia. There is a considerable fear about the rainfall there.

What's your warning to your friends up and down the east coast who still have this storm coming their way?

JOHNSON: Well, they definitely need to listen to the authorities and stay indoors, don't get out, get in the way of the crews. That could be a major issue. So they need to listen to the authorities in those areas.

BERMAN: Just because it went well for you. It does not mean it will be the case in other areas. A lot depends on where this storm hits. A lot depends on the wind and the rain and the storm surge.

Mayor Van Johnson of Apalachicola in Florida, we are glad that you had a safe and sound night and this bright morning. So thank you, sir.

JOHNSON: Thank you.

BERMAN: Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: For a lot of us, Labor Day weekend means one last chance to play on the beach. But in San Diego, one woman uses the beach to introduce kids to careers in science and they're not just any kids. They're from the city's poorest communities, many of whom have never seen the ocean.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are barnacles and they attach with their heads.

You can study technology, engineering, mathematics, all three studying the ocean.

This is a career field that students from very diverse communities don't pursue, and our students are pursuing them at unprecedented rates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. There is more breaking news this morning.

The labor department releasing the jobs report in about a minute six seconds. Christie Romans, she crunches the numbers for us next.

CAMEROTA: You're really on it, John Berman.

BERMAN: It's big. It's breaking.

CAMEROTA: Set your alarm.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)